THE NEW YORKER edition, which bears Whitman's impri- matur. Lines and phrases were always being revised and stanzas tightened. As new poems were added, old ones were jettisoned to make room for them. Juvenile outpourings were discarded. ((Leaves of Grass" was full of pre- scriptions for the future. Emerson's clever description of it as "a singular blend of the Bhagvat Ghita and the New York Herald," meant as a put- down, would today be considered a compliment-but only because "Leaves of Grass" is already in place to show the way. Emerson's comment was a far cry from his first, spontane- ous reaction to the poem, emblazoned forever in a famous letter: "I am not blind to the worth of the wonderful gift of (Leaves of Grass.' I find it the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contrib- uted. . . . I find incomparable things said incomparably welL... I greet you at the beginning of a great ca- reer" -the most generous unsolicited response of one writer to another in the history of American letters With- out it, the poem, which had few takers, might have been lost forever. Whit- man sent the letter to the New York Tribune and incorporated it into the second edition of "Leaves of Grass," without permission from Emerson- two acts of lnsensitivity in Whitman's long career of self-advertisement. A poet, prophet, and public-relations man, he wrote three anonymous re- views of his own book, modestly char- acterizing it in one as "the most glori- ous of triumphs, in the known history of literature." The true miracle of "Leaves of Grass" is that, for all its excesses, its extravagant claims, its endless cata- logues, it is, at its very best, a poem of pure feeling-feeling that seeps throug h phrase after phrase, poem af- ter poem. The transformation of its emotions into words on so vast a scale is astonishing. A long love affair with the future, broken in speech some- times, eloquent beyond anything one remembers, remarkable in the minting of its language, it is a sad poem, a love poem to some "you" never found, some "you" not only personal, inti- mate, and sexual but connected with an epic largeness of democratic vistas, as if the poet were in love with Ameri- cans not yet born or always yet to come. No one, including Mr. Kaplan -and certainly not Whitman-has yet eXplained where it sprang from. Whitman encouraged the view of the "transformation miracle" -the "jour- . \. 1 \ -. \/7 J "I. -. X/-', ... ! """' 'Øf'l ' ...!S lIt. (. i ", ' .' .... ./>;. . "< 11 4, ... if > . !' , Jl j.: ""> - ,;$; An Apérltif from Domaine Chandon 4 , ...: '- l .'f'; \ t ..._ . è' r:# ..1 ....;r ,... .. _a "" .' . . ::: -" ....,. " ' \. 1 'l \;.. ., f( ......-1'. 1." \ lie Ið . ..."..\..":- \ ... :. .=. ;; . ......... ... 1. Rhymes wIth posh. 2. Read the fable on the label. 3. Rather new, so look for It. 4. Yountville, California @19Bl Domazne Chandon. s . I 5 'urH H . OnÏy24.88 postpaitl. r.. '. !ò. Y f "" . 4:! ... :,.M '<.. a . /.....{joot'.g..^.... .$ ^." . Only 27.55 {)Q$tpaid ... '. :. --- \ ..' ,/ Only 12 .95 postpaid - " ...... N' ...,., IV' "NAOI' Our heavy cotton workshirt is a French import, much like the one worn by sailors on the chilly docks of Marseille. Oyster with navy stripes. Men's and women's sizes-Extra Small to Extra Large Team it up with our classic "Yacht Club" deck mocs. Lightweight, full grain cowhide tops with rawhide lacing. Bottoms have anti-skid deck soles. Men's 7-13. Women's 4-10. Whole and half sizes. Finally, our canvas yacht bag is a long-time favorite. Great for books, camping, school or groceries. White with navy blue trim 16" x 7 H x 14". Please order early for guaranteed fast delivery! o FREE! Colorful 72 page holiday gift catalog! Shipshape savings on clotfiing, gifts and nautical equipment for land and sea. Shop at 'our stores or through the mail. o VISA 0 Mastercard r:J American Express 0 Cbeck enclosed Card # Good thru NY PA residents add sales tax. 81XECI02 G I ergs 1 arine@ 12 w. 46th St., NY, NY 10036 202 Market 5t , Phila., PA 19106 193 '- .(. ) .' , t i .